Zealand



D-ROBERTSON AND R. M. SIMPSON.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, I920.

Patented Aug. 9,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I N m m m m N %NRN $MMQMM mayday n. ROBERTSON AND R. M. SIMPSON.

MAIL MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 23, 1920.

1,386,952, Patented Aug. 9,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F/EL 2- uNi'r DONALD, ROBERTSON ANT; RICHARD Mammals snursonfo'r wnnninerom nnwf ZEALAND, Assrsnon T rmrnnienrosrlvraennns LIMITED, or WELLINGTON,

NEW ZEALAN'D, AIN' INCORPORATED COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Application filedJanuary 23, 1920. Serial 1%. 353,641;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DONALD RoBnRTsoN and RICHARD MIDDLETON SIMrsoN, both citizens of the British Empire residing at #13 Talavera Terrace and Upland road, Wellingt'on, Dominion of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful MaiLMarkmg ,Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machmes for canceling the stamps on mail matter and printing the name of a post office the date and Other particulars thereon. It can also with obvious adaptations be. used for pr 1ntwing on envelops leaflets and such like.

he object of thev invention is to provide a machine of the type referred to simple and cheap in construction and with a mlnimum of parts. 7 1

1 The invention consists in the features and combinations and v arrangements of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed, out inthe-claims. In the accompanying drawings embodying the invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of, themachine Fig. 2 is a' perspective view of the machine with the top plate removed to show the working parts, Fig. 3 is a top view enlarged of the improved separator and Fig. 4 is a backview of the improved sep araton, a

The machine as illustrated is driven by I j hand but can be driven by power byl obpreferably heavy and revolves on an axle -provided with curvedarms (.16) and integral w h a s eere e ee them e e vious adaptations.

- The horizontal driving wheel (1) is made (2) securedto the frame (4); Amp (5) screws into the topof the axle (2) and holds the wheel thereon. 40

Around the upper part of the periphery of. the driving wheel (1) there is a, rubber feeding-band (6) keptin place by its elas i 'ticity. The lower part of the driving wheel is provided with two grooves an upper one (7) and a lower one (8) for two endless driving belts (9,10). A handle (11) is provided 7 on the wheel to rotate it by hand. The

upper belt (9) runs directly around a pulley (12) revolving on a spindle (13) secured to the frame (4).- Twostackingwheels(14,15)

MAIL-MARKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Augl 1921.

to the spindle 1'3) b -aa sleeve being 1aeed thereon anda screw ca p the end of thespindle 13). The lower belt (20 of a bent lever (20) which ispivotally mounted on a spindle (21)'- secured tothe frame i (4) and at the top of which spindle (21) is rotatably mounteda central larger pulley'( 22) around which the lower belt (10) runs. Next and adjacent'to the 1 central 1} large pulley (22) is the marking fwheel spindle (23) secured to the other end (2OP) of thebentlever (2 0);and havingon it'a sleeve carryingat its lower end and nearly tangential to the central pulley (22) a; small pulley (24) around which the lower belt (10) runs and thence'back to the lower i groove (8) onthe driving wheel (1). The

ends ofthe bent lever (20) are moved backi i ward and forward on its pivot- (21) by a rod (25) which is threaded and rotates in a plumber block (26) secured near the edge of the frame (4) and extends outside there of terminatingin a button (27) adapted to i turn it. The inner end (28) of the rod (25) is threaded and engages a threaded holein.

a sliding piece (29 which slidesin brackets (29) secured to the-frame '(4).- The inner end (30) of this sliding piece (28) is kept in contact with the-free end (20 of the bent lever (20) by a helical spring (31) I whose ends are secured respectively to the sliding piece,(28) and-to the free. endr( 20?) of the bent lever (20.) near the centralpul ley (22). By this arrangement the rnarkmg wheel is caused to cooperate with the) lower-.portion of the horizontal driving wheel as. closely as desired; and simultane ingly.

. ously the belt ('10) is tensio'ned correspond- V an arm as ens an pivoted by a a pivot (33) to the frame (4) andvhas secured to its other end theiinking wheel spindle (34). ,On the arm (32) nearvthe inking v wheel spindle (34)?)one end of a helical spring (35) is secured, the other end of; the

spring being secured to the bent lever.(20)

between themarking wheel spindle (23) and I the central pulley" (22). fByfthis -arrange ment the inking wheel is kept in we eetv h t e n kieew e I yielding between that wheel wheel (44) There is a top cover plate (36) provided with openings for the marking wheel spindle (23) and the inking wheel spindle (3d) and is secured by screws (37) to the frame l. To this top plate is secured a vertical fence or guard (38) at one edge thereof and a vertical curved guard fence (39) provided stacking wheels (14:, 15) project for operative purposes. A marking wheel (441:) is placed on the marking wheel spindle (23) and is supported by a circular ledge (a6) formed thereon so as to clear the surface of the top plate Aninking wheel is placed on the inking wheel spindle and is supported by a circular ledge formed thereon so as to clear the surface of the top plate Tlie separator Fig. 3 is adjustably secured by a nut and screw to the top plate with its face at an acute angle with the rubber band (6) and nearly touching same. 7

This separator consists of a frame having a bracket provided with a slot (52) for securing same adjustably by means of the nut and screw (d9) to the top plate (86) as before described. T he separator has a hinged finger end portion (53) hinged by the hinge pin (65) to the frame, its ends being connected by a detachable rod (5 f) having on it a rubber sleeve (55). The whole frame in plan is a flattened C. The other ends (56) of the frame are connected by a rod (57) which has on it a rubber sleeve (58). In notches at the back of the frame and near the ends (56) a detachable rod (60) rests. A series of parallel rubber bands (61) are placed with their ends around the detachable rods (54, 60) and extend in a chord across the front of the C shaped frame presenting a flat surface broken by spaces (62) separating the bands. A curved guard is adjustably secured by a wing nut (64:) and bolt to the top plate and serves to prevent ink splashing off the inking wheel ll) and letters from being caught and crumpled and lnoperation letters placed on edge in bunches are fed by hand against the rubber band (6) and are carried against the rubber bands of the separator, the hinged finger of which yields periodically and allows a letter to pass and be carried on by and between the rubber band (7) and the marking wheel whereby they are marked suitable type on the wheel and are these car the marking ried by their momentum and stopped by the edge fence coming under the operation of the curved arms of the stacking wheel,

and being stacked in front of each other their edges resting against the edge fence.

We claiml. A reveluble platen element, a mark ing wheel mounted for rotation and for movement toward and from the platen element, an endless band connecting said platen element and said marking wheel, a tightener for said band, and means to simultaneously shift the marking wheel and tie'htener, to cause the latter to increase the tension of the endless band as the marking wheel is moved toward the platen element.

2. In a mail marking machine a bent lever, a guide pulley mounted at one end, a spindle secured to the other end, a second pulley on said spindle provided with a sleeve for a marking wheel and a third central pulley mounted on said bent lever between said guide pulley and said second pulley substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a mail marking machine a frame,

a driving wheel mounted on said frame, a

bent lever pivotally mounted on saidframe, a guide pulley on one end of said bent lever, a spindle mounted on the other end of said bent lever, a sleeve carrying pulley on the lower end of said spindle, a marking wheel on said sleeve, a central. pulley mounted on said bent lever between said guide pulley and said sleeve carrying pulley and an endless driving belt running around said driving wheel, said guide pulley, said central a guide pulley on one end of said bent lever,

pulley and said sleeve carrying. pulley sub- -a spindle mounted on the other end of said bent lever, a sleeve carrying pulley on the lower end of said spindle, a marking wheel on said sleeve, a central grooved pulley mounted. on said bent lever between Said guide pulley and said sleeve carrying pulley, an endless drlvmg belt running around said driving wheel, said guide pulley, said central pulley and said sleeve carrying pulley andmeans for moving said bent lever whereby said marking wheel is brought into desired coiiperation with said driving wheel and simultaneously said guide pulley'correspondingly adjusts the tension of said driving belt substantially as described.

5. In a mail marking machine a bent lever, a guide pulley mounted at one end, a spindle secured to the other end, a second pulley on said spindle provided with a sleeve for a marking wheel and a third cen- 4 tral pulley mounted on said. bent lever be tween said guide pulley and second pulley, and'means for inking said'marking wheel substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A mail marking machine comprising a driving wheel, a marking wheel cooperating with said driving wheel, a driving belt between said driving wheel and said marking wheel rotating said marking wheel, ad-

justing means for keeping said marking wheel in cooperation with said driving wheel and simultaneously tensioning said driving belt substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures 1n presence of two witnesses.

y DONALD ROBERTSON.

I RICHARD MIDDLETON SIMPSON.

Witnesses to the signature of Richard I Middleton Simpson:

A. B. P'EAoooK, 'A. O. BUnrr. 

